The unique electronic properties of conducting polymers have garnered considerable research interest as potential alternatives to metals and conventional semiconductor materials due, in part, to their flexibility and processing ease. M. Angelopoulos, IBM J. Res. Dev., 2001, 45, 57. In addition, many conducting polymers such as poly(aniline) (PANi) exhibit pH and redox sensitivity, which can significantly affect their optical spectra in the visible region. A. Bossi et al., Electrophoresis, 2003, 24, 3356. The potential application of conducting polymers in micro and nanoelectronic or optical devices has also fostered commercial interest. For example, conducting polymers may be used in the fabrication of devices such as field effect transistors (FET), paper-like and colorful thin displays, organic photovoltaic cells, plastic circuits and biosensors. J. Rogers et al., Journal of Polymer Science: Part A: Polymer Chemistry, 2002, 40, 3327; S. Forrest, Nature, 2004, 428, 911.
Several approaches have also been taken to pattern conducting polymers on micro or nanomaterials for research and commercial interests. In general, these approaches are based on direct or indirect patterning techniques. Direct patterning techniques to deposit a conducting polymer onto a material include methods such as ink jet printing, screen printing and soft-lithography. Similarly, indirect patterning techniques involve polymerizing a conducting polymer during patterning by using electropolymerization on microcontact printed self-assembled monolayers, thin polymer brushes or scanning electrochemical microscopes. Although both direct and indirect patterning techniques have been used to fabricate devices that feature conducting polymers, they are not without their shortcomings. Exemplary shortcomings related to these techniques include complex and slow monomer polymerization, low resolution and yields or harsh environments required for electropolymerization.
Furthermore, patterning of conducting polymers alone may not be sufficient to fabricate certain types of organic devices. Such organic devices can require that a patterned conducting polymer be able to be transferred onto a substrate. Current approaches for transferring patterned conducting polymers on the micro or nanoscale tend to be inefficient, involving multiple steps or separate materials for patterning and transferring. Thus, there remains a significant need to develop less complicated and more effective approaches to patterning and transferring conducting polymers on the micro and nanoscale. T. Kraus et al., Adv. Mater., 2005, 17, 2438; A. Winkleman et al., Adv. Mater., 2005, 17, 1507.